$
Eng
Login
Фотогалерея ‒ Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Guide to Ho Chi Minh City

A city of tall skyscrapers and humble huts of the poor

Ho Chi Minh City, situated in the southern part of Vietnam on the right bank of the Saigon River near the Mekong Delta, boasts a population of over seven million people. This number continues to grow, as the bustling metropolis holds great appeal for young individuals from Vietnamese villages.

As you stroll along the waterfront, you'll witness a different facet of life in the city. Modest shacks belonging to local fishermen line the area, with Vietnamese children energetically entertaining visitors for a few hundred VND.

Originally founded in 1698, the city was initially named Saigon after the river it sits beside. In its early days, it was a small town centered around the Gia Dinh Fortress.

During the era of French colonization, Saigon emerged as the capital of French Indochina. The city underwent significant architectural and economic development during this period. Towards the end of the colonial era, Saigon became the focal point of the movement to liberate the country from foreign rule.

Photos of Ho Chi Minh City

Tips for tourists

Population
8 611 000
Time zone
UTC +07:00
Language
Vietnamese
Currency
VND

Tours to Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnamese metropolis, is a place that offers plenty to see, numerous opportunities for leisurely walks, and a wide range of entertainment options. Tours in Ho Chi Minh City provide the chance to explore intriguing places and cultural sites.

When you embark on Ho Chi Minh City tours, you'll have the opportunity to visit temples and pagodas, including the renowned Jade Emperor Pagoda. These tours provide insights into the contrasting facets of the city, showcasing both its opulence and poverty, as well as the coexistence of Buddhist and Christian influences.

You can find the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City on tripmydream and book your trip through the service. Tour prices can vary, but even during the peak season, you can explore the city without spending a fortune, especially during the off-season.

Whether you opt for hot tours or plan your own itinerary, Ho Chi Minh City offers a range of affordable accommodations in comfortable hostels and budget-friendly restaurants.

Exploring Ho Chi Minh City's botanical gardens, twelve mosques, impoverished neighborhoods, and luxurious villas provides a diverse and captivating mosaic of experiences, appealing to all lovers of the East.

Interesting places in Ho Chi Minh City

The most popular neighborhood for walking in Ho Chi Minh City is District 1. The route passes through Notre Dame Cathedral, the Reunification Palace, the General Post Office, the Opera House, City Hall, the Rex Hotel and the Botanical Gardens. All the city's tourist routes converge on Pham Ngu Lao Street, the busiest spot in District 1. Here you can have a delicious meal in penny cafes, visit a massage parlor or just walk along the street with the crowds of Vietnamese youth.

Sights

Travel budget

Flight ticket prices

Reaching Ho Chi Minh City from Europe usually requires one or two stopovers. Convenient routes are offered by Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa, and Vietnam Airlines. Common departure cities include Warsaw, Frankfurt, Prague, Barcelona, Naples, and Chișinău. Booking early often ensures the best prices.

Ticket prices vary depending on the airline and season. From Chișinău or Prague, fares start around €480, while from Frankfurt or Naples they begin at €520. Prices tend to rise in summer, but during the off-season, great last-minute deals are sometimes available.

The best hotels in Ho Chi Minh City

Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City impress with true luxury when it comes to apartments, such as Rex Hotel, or offer budget-friendly options for guests staying at places like Mai Phuong Thao Hotel.

If you're visiting for the experiences, photos, walks around the city, and excursions, the low prices of hotels like Ngan Long Hotel and Truc An Hotel will surely please you.

There are also affordable options among three-star accommodations. These might be the best choice—you can get budget rooms for about 70 USD, while the service quality remains quite satisfactory. Consider choosing Palace Hotel Saigon or May Hotel.

In Ho Chi Minh City, many four-star hotels don't differ much from three-star ones. Spacious rooms, family apartments, delicious food. Even top-rated Vietnamese hotel complexes, such as Vissai Saigon Hotel or Parkroyal Saigon Hotel, offer economical lodging.

The cost of vacation

In Ho Chi Minh City, both accommodation and food are quite reasonable. Airfare is the only cost that can significantly affect your wallet. We will give you approximate prices for a vacation in Ho Chi Minh City.

The budget for a trip to Ho Chi Minh City
Flight from 780 USD Accomodation from 4 USD
Transportation fare from 0.26 USD Average check in a restaurant from 5 USD
Excursion from 30 USD
Total: Total from 1700 USD for four days

Ho Chi Minh City: tips for tourists

tripmydream has gathered for you the most useful tips that will make your stay in Ho Chi Minh City positive and carefree.

Visa to Ho Chi Minh City

Tourists can stay in Vietnam for 14 days without any additional documents - only with a passport and return tickets.

Lathose who plan to vacation in the country for more than 14 days need to apply for a visa in Ho Chi Minh City. To do this, you need to go to the Vietnamese embassy with a completed application form and a package of documents. Usually the whole process of obtaining a pass to the country takes no more than 7 days. The cost of a visa to Ho Chi Minh City is about 42 USD.

The second option is to apply for a visa on arrival, right at the airport. But for this, in addition to your passport and return tickets, you need to have a letter of confirmation from the Vietnam Immigration Department. It can be ordered online. The price of a letter for a visa to Ho Chi Minh City starts from 14 USD.

Airport

Ho Chi Minh City Tan Sonnyat Airport is located in the city limits, 7 km from the center of Ho Chi Minh City. Its annual passenger traffic is 17 million people.


Passengers arriving from abroad are served by the international terminal No. 2. All services and important facilities are located very compactly and conveniently. Information desks, currency exchange and baggage claim offices are located on the first floor. But ATMs are outside the terminals. Free Wi-Fi, unfortunately, is not available. Internet access is available only in the business lounges.

Transfer

There are two ways to get to the city center: by bus (daytime only) and by cab.


Bus №152 runs from 6:00 to 18:00. Departure is every 20 minutes. Travel time is approximately 40 minutes. Buses stop in front of Burger King restaurant. The ticket price is VND 5,000 (you have to pay separately for luggage).


The second option is a cab. It can be caught to the left of the exit from Terminal 2. The fare is approximately 220,000 VND.

Car rental

International driver's license is not valid in Vietnam (only Vietnamese license). Therefore, car rental in Ho Chi Minh City is only possible with a local driver. Renting a car will cost about 500,000 - 10 million VND per day (depending on the class of the chosen car). Driver's services are paid separately - from 400,000 VND for 1-4 hours per day.


A cheaper alternative to renting a car in Ho Chi Minh City is to rent a motorcycle or scooter. The approximate cost of such an "iron horse" is 200,000 VND per day.

Transportation

Ho Chi Minh City has 152 bus routes (including suburban destinations). Ticket prices on Ho Chi Minh City transportation vary from VND3,000 to VND10,000, depending on the range of travel. Payment is made directly to the driver at the entrance.


An equally popular means of transportation in Ho Chi Minh City is the motorcycle cab. It costs no more than 100,000 VND. Almost all bikes or rickshaws are single-seaters.

Safety

It is only here that the local police have a special unit to fight organized crime. Tourists should be very careful on the streets.


Motorbike thieves are especially dangerous. Their main targets are bags with thin, long handles, gold chains and cell phones, cameras and camcorders in their hands. Robbers become more active at night, but don't relax during the day.

tripmydream - travel service, that helps to find compare and buy best flights and rooms worldwide with the given budget. All necessary information for travelers - is right here!